NFL Draft 2013: ESPN, NFL Network Will Not Tweet Selections Before Roger Goodell Makes Announcement
By Josh Sanchez
Since the explosion of social media, the NFL Draft telecast has become less and less relevant. Fans of the sport can hop on Twitter and see who their team will select with the pick minutes before it is actually announced on television. But that was the past.
This year, the folks at ESPN and NFL Network have decided to keep their analysts from reporting the picks before they are announced from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Thank the lord for that.
“Our fans have told us they would rather hear from the Commissioner and I think it is a better TV show when we speculate and let the Commissioner do it,” said ESPN NFL senior coordinating producer Seth Markman, via Sports Illustrated. “I have said in the past that [ESPN reporters] Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen can basically announce all the picks before they are made if they really wanted to. It goes against a lot of our instincts as journalists and it’s totally different than anything I deal with, but we feel like it is a win for the fans and our viewers.”
This is great news for all of the fans who will be watching the draft.
In the past years, all of the excitement was taken away with the draft analysts and NFL reporters spoiling the surprises on social media.
With the picks be announced first by commissioner Goodell, it gives fans much more incentive to tune in live and catch the draft. Will you be watching?